Written Answers Tuesday 8 March 2005

Broadcasting

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the context of its responsibility for social inclusion, it will respond to the Ofcom consultation on the analogue television switch-off which may commence in parts of Scotland in 2008.

Patricia Ferguson: Broadcasting is a reserved matter. However, Scottish ministers have made clear to the UK Government the importance the Scottish Executive attaches to social inclusion. Scottish ministers' position is that, when digital switchover is complete in Scotland, television services should be available to as great a number of people as possible without any unnecessary financial burden.

  We shall remind Ofcom of our position in responding to its consultation on Digital Switchover.

Cancer

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned in the last three years into why Glasgow has the highest rate of cancer in Scotland and among the highest rates in the United Kingdom.

Mr Andy Kerr: Cancer in Scotland: Sustaining Change (2004) recognised that the burden of cancer is unevenly distributed in the population and that people living in the most deprived areas have the highest risk of cancer and lowest probability of survival.

  The Glasgow Centre for Population Health has been established with financial support of £1 million per annum from the Scottish Executive. The centre will create and test new models for understanding the patterns and causes of Glasgow’s enduring poor health whilst identifying potential solutions and actions for improvement. One of the more innovative approaches taken by the centre will be the examination of the biological effects of deprivation.

Census

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the assurances of confidentiality given in respect of each decennial population census from 1841 to 2001.

Tavish Scott: The following assurances were given on householders’ forms in the various Scottish decennial censuses from 1841-2001:

  1841: No mention of confidentiality on householder’s schedule.

  1851: No mention of confidentiality on householder’s schedule.

  1861: No mention of confidentiality on householder’s schedule.

  1871: "The facts will be published in General Abstracts only, and strict care will be taken that the returns are not used for the gratification of curiosity."

  1881: "The facts will be published in General Abstracts only, and strict care will be taken that the returns are not used for the gratification of curiosity."

  1891: "The facts will be published in General Abstracts only, and strict care will be taken that the returns are not used for the gratification of curiosity"

  1901: "The contents of the Schedules will be treated as confidential; they will be published in General Abstracts only, and strict care will be taken that the Returns are not used for the gratification of curiosity, or for other purposes than those of the Census."

  1911: "The contents of the schedule will be treated as strictly confidential"

  1921: "STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL."

  1931: "STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL/"

  1941: No census taken.

  1951: "The contents of the schedule are strictly confidential."

  1961: "The contents of the schedule are strictly confidential."

  1971: "The information you give on the form will be treated as CONFIDENTIAL and used only for compiling statistics. No information about named individuals will be passed by the Census Office to any other Government Department or any other authority or person."

  1981: "The form is used only for compiling statistics and when you have completed it in accordance with the instructions, it will be treated as CONFIDENTIAL and no information about named individuals will be passed by the Census Office to any other Government Department or any other authority or person."

  1991: "Your answers will be treated in strict confidence and used only to produce statistics. Names and addresses will not be put into the computer: only the postcode will be entered. The forms will be kept securely within my office and treated as confidential for 100 years."

  2001: "The information you provide is protected by law and treated in strict confidence. The information is only used for statistical purposes. Anyone using or disclosing Census information improperly will be liable to prosecution. The information on your census form will be treated as confidential for a period of 100 years."

Census

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any requests since 1997 from members of the public who do not want their personal census details to be released before the records are 100 years old.

Tavish Scott: No such requests have been received. The undertakings given on recent census forms state that personal census details will be kept confidential for 100 years. Members of the public would therefore expect, without needing to make a specific request, that their details would not be released during that period.

Census

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered commissioning an independent survey to establish whether Scots would be satisfied with the re-establishment of 19th century 50 to 80-year confidentiality periods for decennial population census records.

Tavish Scott: We do not propose to commission such a survey, particularly in view of the recent consultation on the proposal, now contained in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 sections 38(1)(c) and 58(2)(b), that personal census information less than 100 years old should be exempt from disclosure under the act.

Census

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the penalties are for refusing to complete a decennial population census form and how many successful prosecutions there were for that offence in connection with the censuses for (a) 1971, (b) 1981, (c) 1991 and (d) 2001.

Tavish Scott: The penalty in force at the time of the most recent census was a fine not exceeding £1,000 (level 3 on the standard scale). The number of successful prosecutions in 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001 were, respectively, 18, 30, 56 and three.

Census

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the penalties are for unlawfully disclosing personal information from closed decennial population censuses and how many successful prosecutions there been have for that offence since 1990.

Tavish Scott: The penalty on summary conviction is imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding £5,000 or both. No prosecutions have been undertaken since 1990 and the Registrar General is not aware of any allegations of unlawful disclosure in that period.

Child Care

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place for NHS boards and local authorities to ensure that health professionals, residential staff and day care staff with care responsibilities for children under five have a working knowledge of the dietary and nutritional needs of young children.

Mr Andy Kerr: The National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16 requires that children and young people in early education and child care settings (where food is provided) have access to a well-balanced and healthy diet which takes account of ethnic, cultural and dietary requirements, including food allergies.

  The Scottish Executive is planning to issue draft nutritional guidance for early years, for consultation in March 2005. The guidance is aimed at the early years sector (such as nurseries, toddler groups, family centres, day care centres and playgroups) and is designed to support staff and carers in meeting young children’s nutritional and developmental needs; provide evidence based nutritional guidance for children aged one-to-three years and four-to-five years who attend pre-school education and day care in Scotland, and provide practical advice on food choices and menu planning.

  The information in the guidance is designed to be consistent with, and complement Adventures in Foodland, a comprehensive resource produced by NHS HealthScotland providing food, nutrition, oral health and physical activity guidance for those caring for children between zero-to-five.

  The Scottish Executive understands that staff and carers have a significant role to play in helping children develop an appreciation for a wide range of foods and encourage active play. We hope the draft guidance will encourage staff in management roles in the early years sector to consider how the document can inform nursery curriculum development, planning and monitoring and links to the National Care Standards.

  In addition, health professionals have a range of resources and training available to them to allow them to support breastfeeding, weaning and other healthy food choices, including Adventures in Foodland, Ready, Steady, Baby, Getting Off to a Good Start, and the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative. We will be consulting on a National Strategy for Infant Feeding in 2005.

Compulsory Purchase

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many compulsory acquisitions of abandoned properties it has authorised in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are various powers for compulsory purchase which can be used to deal with property which is in disrepair and may appear to be abandoned, allowing it to be repaired and re-occupied, or demolished and the site redeveloped. There is, however, no specific reference to abandonment in the legislation, so it is not possible to identify how many cases might fall into this category.

Compulsory Purchase

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it authorises compulsory acquisition of abandoned properties; how long the process takes, and how a community or neighbours can instigate the process.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are no special powers or procedures relating to compulsory purchase of properties that appear to be abandoned. Such properties could be included in compulsory purchase orders promoted for a range of purposes.

  Powers to instigate compulsory purchase are available to a wide range of bodies, including government departments, most government agencies and local authorities. In some cases these require to be confirmed by the Scottish ministers. Ministers will confirm an order if they are satisfied that it has been properly made and fits within the statutory powers used; that no other issues, such as planning considerations, prevent the local authority from achieving the purpose for which the order is made, and that the public benefit of the purchase outweighs the loss to the individual.

  Although there is no overall statutory timetable for the consideration of a compulsory purchase order, various time periods do apply to distinct parts of the process. The length of the process depends on a number of factors which may include the nature of the development intended, the amount and nature of objections and whether a public local inquiry is necessary. The interval between any resolution to make a compulsory order and the Scottish ministers’ decision on that order should be kept to an absolute minimum.

  If neighbours are concerned about a property which is in disrepair, they should approach the local authority to discuss what action can be taken. There may be other options to be considered before moving to compulsory purchase.

Compulsory Purchase

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers are available to local authorities or other bodies to compulsorily purchase derelict shops or other commercial properties for community use.

Johann Lamont: The power to acquire land is for certain statutorily defined purposes. The legislation to be relied upon depends on the purpose behind the acquisition rather than the nature of the land itself. For example, should the purpose be a school, then specific powers exist within section 20 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 whilst if the acquisition were for a planning purpose (such as regeneration), the powers contained in section 189 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 could be considered.

  It would be initially for the local authority or other body to consider how and when to use such powers.

Diabetes

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to NHS boards on the prescription of insulin pumps for diabetics.

Mr Andy Kerr: Guidance on the use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion for diabetes was set out in Technology Appraisal 57 of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). This guidance was also recommended for Scotland by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, and I expect it to be implemented. Scottish Executive officials wrote to NHS boards on 28 February to draw their attention to this particular technology appraisal and asked them to ensure that it was implemented.

Diabetes

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are registered as diabetic (a) in total and (b) broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Diabetes Survey 2003, published in September 2004, contains the most recent data on the number of people with diabetes on the diabetes register. The numbers of people on the diabetes register at the time of the survey in each NHS board area were:

  

Ayrshire and Arran
9,644


Argyll and Clyde
10,209


Borders
2,986


Dumfries and Galloway
5,552


Fife
9,670


Forth Valley
8,206


Grampian
9,978


Greater Glasgow
22,842


Highland
3,614


Lanarkshire
15,976


Lothian
21,547


Orkney (2001 survey data)
377


Shetland
345


Tayside
12,165


Western Isles (2002 survey data)
833


Scotland Total
133,964



  The full report can be obtained at www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/health/sds03-00.asp.

Diabetes

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many diabetics have been issued with insulin pumps to treat their condition (a) in total and (b) broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.

Diabetes

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in respect of those NHS boards who, according to the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report, Diabetes National Overview – March 2004 , have not met essential criteria in the clinical management of diabetes.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Diabetes National Overview report concluded that the care of people with diabetes in Scotland is generally of a very high quality. It offered NHS boards constructive feedback on the strengths of their clinical management of diabetes and also highlighted areas for further development.

  NHS boards now have an opportunity to address those areas in which more work is needed to meet the standards. Meanwhile, the data and information technology element of the standards are being addressed on a Scotland-wide basis.

  NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will be invited to conduct a second series of review visits. These visits will focus on those criteria that were not met at the original visits. The final report of these visits is planned for publication in 2006.

Diabetes

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it will issue to NHS boards to ensure that patients in danger of developing diabetes-related complications are timeously referred for appropriate specialist treatment.

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it will offer to the Scottish Diabetes Group to follow up the recommendation in Diabetes in Scotland: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities to collaborate with renal medicine specialists to clarify best practice in the referral process for patients whose kidney function is starting to deteriorate.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has a role in ensuring that guidance, once agreed, is implemented but does not set guidance itself. The main source of guidance in Scotland is NHS Quality Improvement Scotland which also has responsibility for the Scottish Inter-Collegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and SIGN are independent bodies that set their own agenda for developing guidance.

  The Scottish Executive has established Managed Clinical Networks (MCN) for diabetes services in each of the 15 NHS board areas. These MCNs bring together clinicians, patients and carers across primary, secondary and tertiary care to plan and deliver services. The MCNs offer a framework for encouraging communication between specialists, including renal medicine specialists, eye specialists, heart specialists, and vascular surgery specialists, and other members of the diabetes care team.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13662 by Mr Jim Wallace on 15 February 2005, how many people were registered as self-employed in each year since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: Table 1 shows the number of people who were self-employed in the spring quarter of each year from 1997 to 2004. The spring quarter runs from March to May in each year. These figures are estimated from the Labour Force Survey which is carried out by the Office for National Statistics.

  Table 1 Number of People who are Self-Employed, 1997-2004

  

 
Self-Employed1


Spring 1997
239,000


Spring 1998
238,000


Spring 1999
224,000


Spring 2000
217,000


Spring 2001
230,000


Spring 2002
230,000


Spring 2003
242,000


Spring 2004
244,000



  Source: Labour Force Survey, Spring quarters, not seasonally adjusted.

  Note: 1. Data is for those aged 16+.

Employment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available on hourly rates of pay for (a) professional and (b) non-professional employees.

Mr Jim Wallace: The preferred source for earnings estimates is the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which is carried out by the Office for National Statistics.

  ASHE 2004 estimates that the median gross hourly pay for full-time professional employee jobs is £16.10. For all "other occupations" the equivalent estimate is £9. However, "other occupations" includes jobs that are quite different in terms of pay and skill level. Therefore it is useful to look at different occupation groups.

  The table gives the median gross hourly pay for full-time employee jobs by major occupation group. The major occupation group is a set of broad categories that bring together occupations which are similar in terms of qualifications, training, skills and experience.

  Table 1: Hourly pay - Gross (£) - For Full-Time Employee Jobs1: Scotland, 2004

  

Major Occupation Group2
Median3 Hourly Pay


Managers and Senior Officials
£14.69


Professional Occupations
£16.10


Associate Professional and Technical Occupations
£12.32


Administrative and Secretarial Occupations
 £8.13


Skilled Trades Occupations
 £9.13


Personal Service Occupations
 £7.17


Sales and Customer Service Occupations
 £6.20


Plant and Machinery Operatives
 £7.69


Elementary Occupations
 £6.59


All
 £9.87



  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

  Notes:

  1. Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.

  2. Major Occupation Group as defined by Standard Occupation Classification 2000 (SOC2000).

  3. The median is the value below which 50 per cent of employee jobs fall. It is preferred over an arithmetic average for earnings data as it is influenced less by large or extreme values.

Enterprise

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to the UK Government to ensure that companies presenting financial reports to Companies House are also required to present social and environmental reports.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including matters relating to corporate social responsibility.

  We wish more Scottish businesses to publish corporate responsibility reports which give a thorough and honest appraisal of their social and environmental performance.

Environment

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13778 by Johann Lamont on 8 February 2005 regarding the location of toxic waste dumps in the east end and south of Glasgow, who made the decision not to hold an inquiry into the matter; what criteria were used to reach that decision, and whether there is a process by which that decision may be challenged.

Johann Lamont: It would be for Glasgow City Council, as planning authority, to consider whether to hold a public hearing before granting planning permission for any waste disposal site. Glasgow City Council is also the body responsible for identifying contaminated land in its area which should be remediated. Any questions about issues relating to planning and land remediation should therefore be addressed to the council. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is responsible for the day-to-day monitoring of waste disposal site operations.

Equal Opportunities

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last issued guidance to departments and agencies on the implementation of policies or practices on disability and racial discrimination.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is committed to equality and takes its responsibilities under the Race Relations Act and the Disability Discrimination Act very seriously.

  There are a number of guidance documents on both these areas which are regularly refreshed, and the Equality Unit provides guidance and advice where required.

  In the coming months we will be launching a race equality intranet site for Executive staff to help them take forward their legal responsibilities under race relations legislation.

  In addition, the Executive’s HR Policy Team has its own intranet site, which provides information and guidance to staff on a range of equality and diversity issues. Hard copies of the Executive’s policies on Dignity at Work and Disability were also issued to all staff on their launch in 2003.

  We also publish a research tool which is available on the internet – the mainstreaming equality website at www.scotland.gov.uk/mainstreamingequality.

Equal Opportunities

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor and evaluate Closing the Opportunity Gap’s (CtOG) objectives and targets.

Malcolm Chisholm: The CtOG objectives are underpinned by 10 specific targets. These targets will be monitored and progress against them will be published as data becomes available, on our Closing the Opportunity Gap webpages.

Equal Opportunities

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will monitor and evaluate Closing the Opportunity Gap’s targets in respect of gender and, if so, how.

Malcolm Chisholm: We will disaggregate published data on the targets by gender, age, ethnicity, disability and geography where possible.

European Funding

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the audit and monitoring procedures for the European Regional Development Fund in the Highlands and Islands have changed since the Parliament was established.

Allan Wilson: The essential principles remain unchanged however current audit and monitoring procedures for the European Regional Development Fund are those set out in updated regulations that were adopted by the European Commission in July 1999.

Exports

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is proposed to address the continuing reduction in manufactured exports.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive recognises that the manufacturing sector is a major and essential part of the Scottish economy. The Scottish Executive has committed itself to the medium to long-term enterprise strategy set out in the recently revised Framework for Economic Development in Scotland (FEDS) and Smart, Successful Scotland. These documents highlight the need for Scottish enterprises to engage with and compete in international markets. The issues of global competitiveness and the ability of Scottish companies to internationalise are being addressed through a range of policies being implemented by the Executive and its various agencies. The Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service, announced last year, will assist manufacturers to increase their competitiveness through improved productivity and innovation.

Exports

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific steps are being taken to support manufacturing exports.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive and its various agencies and bodies provide a broad range of support to Scottish companies, assisting their general development and ability to compete successfully in international markets. Individual policies and actions are tailored to reflect the particular conditions of each industry sector.

  Scottish Development International (SDI) promotes the internationalisation of Scottish companies in line with the Scottish Executive's Smart, Successful Scotland strategy. SDI provides a wide range of support measures to companies and organisations to assist them to develop overseas markets, trading links and strategic partnerships. These include strategic support on companies' readiness to internationalise; the provision of market research; delivering customised entry support for companies looking at new markets; assistance on outward missions and attendance at major exhibitions, and in-market assistance through SDI's network of overseas offices.

Film Industry

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much inward investment the Ayrshire Film Focus project has attracted to the local area since its inception.

Patricia Ferguson: The evaluation commissioned by Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire suggests that Ayrshire Film Focus may have helped to generate spend by TV/film production companies amounting to just over £170,000.

Football

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being given to under-12s’ football.

Patricia Ferguson: The Executive is supporting under-12s’ football through various programmes operated by  sportscotland and other initiatives such as Active Schools. In addition, the Executive is supporting the implementation of the Action Plan for Youth Football, which has a specific target of establishing small-sided football for all primary age schoolchildren.

Freight

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13433 by Nicol Stephen on 27 January 2005 in respect of a ferry service from Scotland to Norway, whether a waterborne freight grant would still apply to such a service and what impact the traffic of English road freight north to such a ferry service would have on a possible Freight Facility Grant.

Nicol Stephen: A ferry service between Scotland and Norway will be eligible to apply for a Waterborne Freight Grant (WFG) if it removes lorry journeys from Scotland’s roads. It is not possible to assess the specific impact of road freight traffic from England on any possible award of Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) or WFG in Scotland without having full details of the road routes currently used by this potential traffic.

  One of the upper limits on the potential award of FFG or WFG is the environmental benefits which particular projects will generate by transferring freight from our roads. Equally these environmental benefits are reduced by the disbenefits of any additional lorry journeys which FFG and WFG funded projects might generate.

Fuel Poverty

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who the members of the Scottish Executive Fuel Poverty Forum are and how (a) the membership is selected and (b) prospective members may apply.

Malcolm Chisholm: Organisations represented on the Scottish Executive Fuel Poverty Forum are as follows:

  Age Concern

  Citizens Advice Scotland

  COSLA

  West Lothian Council

  Energy Action Scotland

  Energy Saving Trust

  Energywatch

  Friends of the Earth Scotland

  Help the Aged

  National Grid Transco

  Ofgem 

  Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

  Scottish Gas

  ScottishPower

  Scottish and Southern Energy.

  Each member organisation selects its representative. The membership was selected from the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Group that helped establish the central heating initiative. Organisations wishing to participate in the forum should in the first instance contact the secretariat of the forum at the Scottish Executive Development Department.

Funeral Expenses

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned in the last three years into the debt burden for families as a result of funeral expenses.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has commissioned no research into the debt burden for families as a result of funeral expenses, in the last three years.

G8 Summit

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11118 by Mr Tom McCabe on 1 November 2004, whether the Association of British Insurers was contacted as part of the exploration of issues relating to the compensation of business and individuals in Perth and Kinross and, if so, what advice was received.

Mr Tom McCabe: I understand that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office consulted the Association of British Insurers in drawing up guidance for residents and businesses relating to insurance issues associated with the G8 summit. The guide has been available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office G8 website, www.g8.gov.uk , since 26 January 2005.

Health

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that the five-year moratorium between the Government and the Association of British Insurers on the use of genetic test results by insurers will be extended beyond 2006.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government in respect of measures to ensure that people with hereditary or latent genetic predisposition are not discriminated against by insurance companies after the moratorium between the Government and the Association of British Insurers on the use of genetic test results by insurers ends in 2006.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government in respect of a long-term policy to replace the moratorium between the Government and the Association of British Insurers on the use of genetic test results by insurers when it ends in 2006.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including issues surrounding human genetics. I am aware that the UK Government has been in discussions with the Association of British Insurers, Human Genetics Commission, Genetics and Insurance Committee and others, including charities representing patients to consider what actions can be taken when the current moratorium on genetics and insurance ends in November 2006. However, these are reserved matters.

  I understand an announcement by the UK Government will be made shortly on the outcome of the discussions.

Health

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that gene mutation searching and predictive test results received during the five-year moratorium between the Government and the Association of British Insurers on the use of genetic test results by insurers will not be used by insurance companies to set premiums after the moratorium ends in 2006.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14702 on 8 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search .

  I am advised that results from predictive genetic tests, which search genes for mutations, cannot be used by insurers to set premiums, unless the test has been approved by the Genetics and Insurance committee. To date, the only test approved by that Committee is for Huntington’s disease, for life insurance policies over £500,000.

  I understand the Human Genetics Commission and Genetics and Insurance Committee are considering future developments in predictive testing for genetic conditions. The UK Government will welcome their advice.

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of patients suffering from rheumatological conditions are prescribed anti-TNF drugs; what information it has on how this figure compares with international data in respect of the prescription of anti-TNF drugs for patients suffering from rheumatological conditions, and what the reasons are for any variance in these figures.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not available centrally. Prescription of the anti-TNF agents should be undertaken by consultant rheumatologists specialising in their use. Data on drugs dispensed in hospitals are not available centrally. Centrally collected data relate to prescribed items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors. These data are not patient specific.

  Where NHS Quality Improvement Scotland or the Scottish Medicines Consortium has issued advice on the use of anti-TNF drugs, NHSScotland should take account of the advice and ensure that these drugs are made available to meet clinical need.

Health

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many admissions there have been to accident and emergency departments in the last five years, broken down by hospital within the NHS Greater Glasgow area.

Mr Andy Kerr: The total attendances at accident and emergency departments in Greater Glasgow are shown in the table.

  NHSScotland - Accident and Emergency attendances1: Locations in Greater Glasgow Health Board Area: Years ending 31 March 2000 to 2004

  

 
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004P


NHS Greater Glasgow
 376,734 
373,273
370 410
363,440
359,969


Glasgow Dental Hospital and School
 21,084
 19,933
 18 895
 17,968
 15,870


Glasgow Royal Infirmary
 73,671
 73,857
 71 917
 69,105
 68,166


Royal Hospital for Sick Children
 37,555
 37,678
 38 394
 37,838
 37,132


Southern General Hospital
 45,366
 45,188
 46 288
 45,755
 47,785


Stobhill Hospital
 53,651
 50,989
 50 037
 49,424
 48,875


Victoria Infirmary
 73,307
 73,523
 73 259
 72,537
 70,771


Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General
 72,100
 72,105
 71 620
 70,813
 71,370



  Source: ISD Scotland [Form ISD(S)1].

  PProvisional.

  Notes:

  1. Excludes patients attending for A&E treatment that are seen by GPs.

  Reference: ISD/HIG/IR2005-00607

  2. The total figures include return attendances as well as new presentations.

  Date: 28 February 2005.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish Medicines Consortium’s reasons are for not approving the use of Zometa® (zoledronic acid).

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to issue guidance on the use of Zometa® (zoledronic acid).

Mr Andy Kerr: In April 2003 the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) recommended restricted use of zometa for patients with breast cancer and multiple myeloma, but not for patients with prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumours. SMC concluded that the quality of the economic evidence provided was insufficient to demonstrate that the use of zometa for these indications is cost effective.

  The manufacturer then requested an independent review in relation to skeletal related events (SRE) in prostate cancer. The SMC made a decision in December 2003 following independent review not to recommend this treatment for SRE in prostate cancer. It concluded that although zometa led to a reduction in SREs compared with placebo in these patients, the absolute reduction was small and there was not sufficient evidence to introduce zometa into standard practice for the treatment of patients with metastatic prostate cancer. An economic case was submitted by the manufacturer but its quality was not judged to be sufficient to support a recommendation that the drug is cost-effective relative to standard practice in Scotland for this particular indication.

  The Scottish Executive does not intend to give further guidance on this issue.

Historic Scotland

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schoolchildren have visited Historic Scotland properties through free school visits in each of the last three years.

Patricia Ferguson: Total numbers participating in Historic Scotland’s free educational visits scheme over the last three years are as follows:

  

Year
Number of Children


2001-02
58,796


2002-03
57,777


2003-04
66,660 which was an 15.4% increase on the previous year.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what responsibilities registered social landlords have in relation to area renewal and the wider action agenda.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  We are keen to encourage registered social landlords (RSLs) to maximise the positive impact they can have on communities beyond the provision and management of housing. This should be done within the framework of the Executive’s Closing the Opportunity Gap objectives. However, we are clear that RSLs are not obliged to get involved in this wider agenda and each RSL must make any decision based on its own circumstances.

  A full explanation of our policy on supporting the Wider Role of RSLs can be found at www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk.

Immigration

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether the new immigration points system will be weighted in Scotland’s favour and how arrangements for the system will work.

Mr Tom McCabe: I welcome the recognition, in the Home Office’s Five Year Strategy for asylum and immigration, of Scotland's particular demographic challenges and look forward to working closely with the Home Office as the details, including those for the points system, are developed,

Justice

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for dog fouling there have been since 1999.

Elish Angiolini QC: The Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force on 22 October 2003 and repealed section 48 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

  Information is only available from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s database from 2002. In the financial year 2002-03, there were nine prosecutions and 22 paid fiscal fines in terms of section 48 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. In the financial year 2003-04 there were 12 prosecutions and 20 paid fiscal fines in terms of section 48 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and four prosecutions in terms of section 1 of the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003.

Justice

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for litter offences there have been since 1999.

Elish Angiolini QC: Section 92(9) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and section 87(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 make it an offence to dispose of litter in common places and public open places respectively.

  Information is only available from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s (COPFS) database from 2002. In the financial year 2002-03 there were nine prosecutions and 11 paid fiscal fines under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and 92 prosecutions and 109 paid fiscal fines under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In the financial year 2003-04, there were 10 prosecutions and 12 paid fiscal fines under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and 122 prosecutions and 143 paid fiscal fines under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  It is also possible for local authorities to issue fixed penalties for contraventions of section 87(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The COPFS does not hold information about fixed penalties issued by local authorities.

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10902 by Lewis Macdonald on 8 October 2004, what progress has been made in closing any loophole that may allow landlords to conclude consequential leases at the expense of possible crofting community buy-outs.

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10902 by Lewis Macdonald on 8 October 2004, whether any loophole in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 could be removed by a Scottish Statutory Instrument.

Lewis Macdonald: We intend to consult shortly on a draft of the Crofting Reform Bill and will use that consultation to seek views and further information about leases or any other legal devices which might be thought to impede crofting community bodies in exercising their right to buy under the Land Reform Act.

Life Expectancy

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the five main causes of death were for (a) males and (b) females aged 35 years and under in each of the last 10 years.

Tavish Scott: All deaths in Scotland are classified according to the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The table gives information on the main causes or groups of causes that are considered to be appropriate to people aged under 35. In accordance with standard demographic age groupings, the table covers persons aged under 35 rather than those aged 35 and under. As with all classifications, the ICD tends to group minor categories and split up larger categories. Any choice of a "top five" causes of death is therefore somewhat subjective.

  Deaths Aged Under 35, Selected Main Causes, by Sex, Scotland

  

Cause of death
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


Males
 


Suicide (incl. "undetermined") 1
255
250
256
282
268
285
279
234
276
197


Drug dependence
94
111
125
102
125
147
143
147
196
159


Road transport accidents
143
162
148
156
135
124
110
139
106
127


Perinatal conditions
106
91
103
82
98
83
96
89
91
82


Congenital anomalies
74
80
76
66
71
59
60
63
61
62


All causes
1,212
1,204
1,223
1,110
1,151
1,146
1,083
1,059
1,113
1,004


Females
 


Perinatal conditions
85
87
76
58
67
53
74
78
64
67


Suicide (incl. "undetermined") 1
64
60
75
75
72
70
69
73
64
66


Congenital anomalies
68
64
63
59
60
44
43
49
41
48


Road transport accidents
40
58
40
41
44
40
33
37
30
46


Drug dependence
31
28
30
20
27
31
40
31
27
18


All causes
565
597
569
515
531
502
507
499
478
483



  Note: 1. Deaths classified as "events of undetermined intent" have been included with those classified as "intentional self harm" (suicides) as most of the former are believed to be suicides.

Life Expectancy

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) birth, (b) mortality and (c) life expectancy rates were for (i) males and (ii) females in each of the last eight years, broken down by NHS board area.

Tavish Scott: The latest information available is given in the following tables.

  (a) Birth Rates1 by Sex and Health Board Area, 1996-2003

  

 
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


(i) Males
 


Scotland
6.0
6.0
5.8
5.6
5.4
5.3
5.2
5.3


Argyll and Clyde
6.1
6.1
5.5
5.4
5.3
4.9
4.8
5.0


Ayrshire and Arran
5.6
5.8
5.6
5.2
5.0
5.1
4.9
5.0


Borders
5.3
5.3
5.1
5.0
5.1
4.9
4.9
4.9


Dumfries and Galloway
5.6
5.4
5.2
4.8
4.7
4.5
4.8
4.4


Fife
5.6
5.5
5.7
5.5
5.2
5.3
5.2
5.3


Forth Valley
6.1
5.9
6.0
5.6
5.3
5.1
5.2
5.5


Grampian
5.9
6.0
5.8
5.6
5.3
5.0
5.2
5.1


Greater Glasgow
6.4
6.4
6.1
5.8
5.7
5.7
5.4
5.7


Highland
6.0
6.1
6.1
5.8
5.4
5.3
4.7
4.9


Lanarkshire
6.3
6.4
6.1
6.0
5.7
5.6
5.4
5.5


Lothian
6.1
6.1
5.8
5.6
5.5
5.4
5.4
5.5


Orkney
6.4
6.2
5.3
4.9
3.6
4.2
3.8
4.7


Shetland
6.1
5.7
5.6
6.2
5.3
6.0
5.7
6.1


Tayside
5.5
5.7
5.5
5.3
5.1
5.2
4.9
5.3


Western Isles
4.9
4.4
4.8
5.2
4.5
4.4
4.4
4.8


(ii) Females
 


Scotland
5.7
5.7
5.5
5.3
5.1
5.1
5.0
5.0


Argyll and Clyde
5.6
5.6
5.4
5.3
5.2
4.9
4.8
4.8


Ayrshire and Arran
5.5
5.4
5.3
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.6
4.8


Borders
5.4
5.4
4.7
4.9
5.0
5.0
4.6
4.8


Dumfries and Galloway
5.3
5.2
4.9
4.6
4.5
4.2
4.3
4.5


Fife
5.4
5.5
5.4
5.1
4.8
5.1
4.9
5.0


Forth Valley
5.5
5.6
5.4
5.3
5.2
5.0
4.9
5.0


Grampian
5.4
5.4
5.4
5.3
4.8
4.9
4.9
4.8


Greater Glasgow
6.0
6.1
5.6
5.6
5.3
5.4
5.2
5.2


Highland
5.4
5.6
5.6
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.8
5.1


Lanarkshire
6.0
5.8
5.8
5.7
5.6
5.3
5.4
5.4


Lothian
5.8
5.9
5.6
5.6
5.4
5.3
5.1
5.2


Orkney
4.4
5.2
4.6
4.8
4.3
4.8
4.7
4.1


Shetland
5.7
6.9
6.1
6.4
4.9
5.2
3.9
5.4


Tayside
5.4
5.4
5.2
4.8
4.8
4.8
4.6
4.9


Western Isles
4.9
4.6
5.2
4.5
4.0
4.1
4.9
4.9



  Note: 1. Live births per 1,000 total population.

  (b) Death Rates1 by Sex and Health Board Area, 1996-2003

  

 
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


(i) Males
 


Scotland
11.9
11.6
11.5
11.7
11.3
11.2
11.4
11.4


Argyll and Clyde
12.8
12.6
12.4
12.9
12.1
12.1
12.7
12.9


Ayrshire and Arran
12.0
12.8
12.0
12.1
11.9
12.3
12.4
12.5


Borders
12.2
12.4
11.8
11.7
12.1
11.5
12.5
12.9


Dumfries and Galloway
12.5
12.3
12.2
12.3
12.1
12.1
12.0
13.0


Fife
11.5
11.0
11.3
11.1
10.8
10.8
11.3
10.8


Forth Valley
11.9
11.1
10.8
11.2
10.8
10.5
11.3
10.7


Grampian
10.0
9.4
9.5
9.8
9.7
9.8
9.9
9.7


Greater Glasgow
13.6
13.0
13.4
13.4
12.7
12.4
12.7
12.6


Highland
11.8
11.4
11.5
12.0
11.7
11.4
11.3
11.5


Lanarkshire
11.0
11.0
10.7
11.3
10.9
10.5
10.8
10.9


Lothian
11.2
10.7
10.6
10.6
10.2
10.2
9.9
10.0


Orkney
12.1
12.4
13.0
12.6
10.9
12.0
10.2
10.2


Shetland
10.9
10.8
10.6
10.3
7.7
9.6
9.4
10.2


Tayside
12.6
12.1
11.9
12.4
11.9
11.9
12.0
12.0


Western Isles
15.6
15.1
15.0
16.0
15.3
13.8
15.9
16.8


(ii) Females
 


Scotland
11.9
11.8
11.8
12.0
11.5
11.4
11.6
11.7


Argyll and Clyde
12.5
12.1
12.6
12.5
12.7
12.1
12.3
12.1


Ayrshire and Arran
12.2
12.8
12.4
13.3
12.8
12.7
12.4
12.8


Borders
13.4
13.4
13.3
13.3
12.5
12.4
13.3
13.3


Dumfries and Galloway
12.8
12.3
12.3
12.5
12.0
12.0
12.3
13.0


Fife
11.5
11.4
11.7
11.5
11.0
11.6
11.6
11.5


Forth Valley
11.4
11.0
11.1
11.3
11.1
11.2
11.1
11.3


Grampian
9.8
10.1
10.2
10.7
10.4
9.9
10.2
10.5


Greater Glasgow
13.1
13.1
12.6
13.3
12.2
12.1
12.2
12.4


Highland
11.1
11.5
11.5
11.2
11.4
11.6
11.6
11.5


Lanarkshire
11.0
11.0
10.8
11.1
10.4
10.7
10.9
11.0


Lothian
11.5
11.2
11.0
11.2
10.7
10.3
10.7
10.5


Orkney
11.0
11.8
12.0
9.3
9.3
11.8
11.7
11.2


Shetland
11.1
10.6
10.7
9.3
8.3
10.8
10.1
10.5


Tayside
13.1
12.5
13.0
13.1
12.3
12.6
12.6
13.0


Western Isles
14.6
14.8
13.6
13.8
15.4
13.1
14.9
14.8



  Notes: 1. Deaths per 1,000 population, males or females as appropriate.

  (c) Expectation of Life at Birth by Sex and Health Board Area, 1994-96 to 2001-031

  

 
1994-96
1995-97
1996-98
1997-99
1998-2000
1999-2001
2000-02
2001-03


(i) Males
 


Scotland
72.1
72.2
72.4
72.6
72.8
73.1
73.3
73.5


Argyll and Clyde
71.0
71.2
71.1
71.1
71.4
71.7
72.1
72.0


Ayrshire and Arran
72.5
72.6
72.8
73.0
73.3
73.0
73.0
73.0


Borders
75.0
74.7
74.9
75.1
75.3
75.6
75.5
75.4


Dumfries and Galloway
73.7
73.9
74.2
74.5
75.2
75.2
75.5
74.8


Fife
73.1
73.4
73.4
73.8
74.1
74.5
74.3
74.6


Forth Valley
72.8
73.1
73.1
73.4
73.6
73.9
74.1
74.2


Grampian
73.7
73.9
74.2
74.3
74.4
74.7
74.8
75.0


Greater Glasgow
69.8
69.9
70.2
70.4
70.5
70.6
70.8
71.0


Highland
72.5
72.6
72.8
72.9
72.8
73.2
73.7
74.4


Lanarkshire
71.7
71.7
71.9
72.1
72.3
72.6
72.9
73.0


Lothian
72.8
72.9
73.0
73.4
73.6
74.0
74.4
74.7


Orkney
73.9
74.1
74.1
73.4
74.4
74.5
76.1
75.9


Shetland
71.9
72.1
72.6
73.6
74.3
74.8
75.1
73.6


Tayside
72.6
73.0
73.4
73.5
73.7
73.9
74.2
74.4


Western Isles
71.5
70.7
70.9
71.2
72.2
72.5
72.4
71.6


(ii) Females
 


Scotland
77.7
77.8
77.9
78.0
78.2
78.6
78.8
78.9


Argyll and Clyde
77.2
77.3
77.3
77.7
77.5
77.9
78.0
78.4


Ayrshire and Arran
77.8
77.7
78.0
77.7
77.8
77.7
78.2
78.6


Borders
79.4
79.6
79.7
79.7
80.0
80.2
80.5
79.8


Dumfries and Galloway
78.8
79.1
79.0
79.1
79.2
79.7
80.3
79.7


Fife
78.5
78.8
78.7
79.0
79.1
79.5
79.5
79.4


Forth Valley
77.6
78.0
78.3
78.7
78.6
78.6
79.0
78.8


Grampian
79.1
79.4
79.6
79.4
79.4
79.7
80.1
80.4


Greater Glasgow
76.1
76.2
76.4
76.5
76.8
77.2
77.4
77.5


Highland
78.7
78.6
78.9
79.0
79.3
79.5
79.2
79.4


Lanarkshire
76.8
76.8
77.0
77.3
77.6
77.9
78.0
78.0


Lothian
78.1
78.2
78.2
78.4
78.5
79.1
79.3
79.5


Orkney
80.5
79.6
79.3
79.8
81.9
82.8
82.2
81.0


Shetland
79.0
80.6
80.0
80.6
81.0
81.6
81.5
80.6


Tayside
78.1
78.3
78.3
78.4
78.8
79.2
79.4
79.2


Western Isles
79.1
79.0
79.7
79.9
80.0
81.0
80.6
79.6



  Note: 1. Because of the small numbers involved, expectation of life data for sub-national areas are calculated over a three year period.

Local Government

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authority employees were given retirement on health grounds in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority and expressed also as a percentage of the number of people employed by each local authority.

Tavish Scott: The tables give a breakdown of the numbers of local government employees who are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and who retired on grounds of ill-health, broken down by fund administering authority for each of the last five years and expressed as percentages of the total membership of the scheme by fund. It should be noted that not everyone who is eligible to be a member of the LGPS is a member.

  Information broken down by employing local authority and information relating to police, fire and teaching staff who are employed in local government and who have retired on health grounds is not held in the form requested and is therefore not readily available.

  Local Government Pension Scheme Membership and Ill Health Retirement Details 2003-04, Figures taken from LFR 24 Returns

  *Figures for All Employees is Excluding Admitted Employees

  

Pension Fund
No. of Contributing Members
Total
Ill-Health Retirals
Percentage


*All Employees
Admitted Employees


Aberdeen City
21,251
2,616
23,867
N/A
 


Dumfries and Galloway
4,999
281
5,280
39
0.74


Dundee City
15,603
1,957
17,560
82
0.47


Edinburgh City
30,296
5,112
35,408
164
0.46


Falkirk
11,364
748
12,112
66
0.54


Fife
14,190
275
14,465
78
0.54


Glasgow City
77,286
9,902
87,188
395
0.45


Highland
11,354
453
11,807
40
0.34


Orkney Islands
1,231
160
1,391
7
0.50


Shetland Islands
2,175
699
2,874
11
0.38


Scottish Borders
3,757
271
4,028
13
0.32



  Local Government Pension Scheme Membership and Ill Health Retirement Details 2002-03, Figures taken from LFR 24 Returns

  *Figures for All Employees is Excluding Admitted Employees

  

Pension Fund
No. of Contributing Members
Total
Ill-Health Retirals
Percentage


*All Employees
Admitted Employees


Aberdeen City
20,102
2,626
22,728
102
0.45


Dumfries and Galloway
4,749
161
4,910
29
0.59


Dundee City
14,472
1,830
16,302
92
0.56


Edinburgh City
29,477
5,095
34,572
175
0.51


Falkirk
10,777
732
11,509
101
0.87


Fife
13,694
325
14,019
86
0.61


Glasgow City
71,705
9,879
81,584
487
0.59


Highland
11,048
459
11,507
42
0.36


Orkney Islands
1,070
151
1,221
8
0.65


Shetland Islands
1,990
678
2,668
17
0.64


Scottish Borders
3,616
207
3,823
26
0.68



  Local Government Pension Scheme Membership and Ill Health Retirement Details 2001-2002, Figures taken from LFR 24 Returns

  *Figures for All Employees is Excluding Admitted Employees

  

Pension Fund
No. of Contributing Members
Total
Ill-Health Retirals
Percentage


*All Employees
Admitted Employees


Aberdeen City
19,127
2,619
21,746
118
0.54


Dumfries and Galloway
4,566
192
4,758
41
0.86


Dundee City
13,956
1,624
15,580
75
0.48


Edinburgh City
28,387
5,268
33,655
204
0.61


Falkirk
10,066
670
10,745
89
0.83


Fife
132,096
279
13,488
93
0.69


Glasgow City
70,916
6,667
77,583
409
0.53


Highland
10,367
382
10,749
75
0.79


Orkney Islands
1,013
142
1,155
5
0.43


Shetland Islands
2,024
606
2,630
11
0.42


Scottish Borders
3,556
62
3,618
29
0.80



  Local Government Pension Scheme Membership and Ill Health Retirement Details 2000-01, Figures taken from LFR 24 Returns

  *Figures for All Employees is Excluding Admitted Employees

  

Pension Fund
No. of Contributing Members
Total
Ill-Health Retirals
Percentage


*All Employees
Admitted Employees


Aberdeen City
18,143
2,702
20,845
46
0.22


Dumfries and Galloway
4,295
165
4,460
31
0.70


Dundee City
12,550
2,496
15,046
127
0.84


Edinburgh City
24,079
4,193
28,272
234
0.83


Falkirk
9,646
638
10,284
110
1.07


Fife
12,476
262
12,738
126
0.99


Glasgow City
67,784
6,798
74,582
514
0.69


Highland
9,723
359
10,082
63
0.62


Orkney Islands
963
120
1,083
6
0.55


Shetland Islands
1,947
481
2,428
10
0.41


Scottish Borders
3,668
62
3,730
18
0.48



  Local Government Pension Scheme Membership and Ill Health Retirement Details 1999-2000, Figures taken from LFR 24 Returns

  *Figures for All Employees is Excluding Admitted Employees

  

Pension Fund
No. of Contributing Members
Total
Ill-Health Retirals
Percentage


*All Employees
Admitted Employees


Aberdeen City
17,409
2,563
19,972
N/A
 


Dumfries and Galloway
3,916
183
4,099
40
0.98


Dundee City
12,076
2,242
14,318
197
1.38


Edinburgh City
23,896
5,142
29,038
260
0.89


Falkirk
8,867
567
9,434
81
0.85


Fife
11,132
221
11,353
123
1.08


Glasgow City
67,449
4,966
72,415
601
0.83


Highland
8,702
363
9,065
76
0.84


Orkney Islands
918
103
1,021
5
0.48


Shetland Islands
1,778
441
2,219
10
0.45


Scottish Borders
3,386
56
3,442
15
0.43

Local Government

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether community groups using local authority-owned premises are required by law to provide their own insurance and, if so, under what legislation.

Tavish Scott: The Executive is unaware of any specific legislation that requires community groups, in using local authority-owned premises, to provide their own insurance. Consequently, it would be for individual local authorities, as owners of the property, to determine what, if any, insurance cover was required for any organisations, including community groups, wishing to do so.

Local Government

David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the severance payments for councillors recommended in the report of the Councillors’ Remuneration Progress Group would be tax free.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Councillors Remuneration Progress Group did not comment on the taxation status of its suggested severance scheme. Detailed arrangements for the severance scheme will be considered by the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee which has been established under the provisions of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. Ministers will take decisions about the precise detail of the scheme in light of that committee’s advice.

Ministerial Correspondence

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reply to my letter of 18 January 2005 regarding the A90 trunk road south of Fraserburgh.

Nicol Stephen: I replied to your letter on 18 February 2005.

NHS Staff

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, and with whom, regarding changing NHS consultant pension arrangements.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to alter the retirement age of doctors and dentists working in the NHS.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to alter unilaterally pension arrangements and agreements for doctors and dentists working in the NHS.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to end final salary pension agreements for doctors and dentists working in the NHS.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements will be in place in respect of retirement arrangements and pension plans for doctors and dentists working in the NHS in 2013.

Tavish Scott: Demographic change, such as increasing longevity, has lead to a substantial increase in the cost of providing pensions in the public services. In order to combat the increasing costs, and in line with the UK Government policy on public service pensions, the NHS pension scheme is currently under review. The review is being carried out on the basis that the normal pension age for the scheme will increase to 65.

  The main aim of the review is to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the scheme, while ensuring that it continues to provide security and value for money for both NHS employees and employers and meets the needs of a modern and diverse workforce in NHS Scotland.

  New pension arrangements, including the increase in normal pension age, will apply to all new staff joining the NHS from 2006. Existing staff will not be affected till at least 2013, with all benefits earned to that date fully protected.

  Responsibility for the review lies with the Scottish NHS HR Forum (HRF), which is a partnership between NHS employers and trade unions in Scotland and the Scottish Executive.

  A full public consultation on the options for the future of the NHS scheme was launched on 24 January 2005, and will run till 25 April 2005. The consultation documents can be accessed at www.sppa.gov.uk. Copies have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 35022).

  Decisions about the future of the NHS pension scheme in Scotland will be made following the conclusion of the consultation process.

NHS Staff

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of NHS staff was (a) medical, (b) nursing, (c) technical, (d) managerial administrative, (e) clerical administrative and (f) auxiliary and support in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: Detailed information on staff in post in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce .

  In particular, tables A1 and A2 in Section A show whole-time equivalent (WTE) and headcount staff figures by NHS board for the last 10 years. WTE adjusts headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff. Latest available figures are at 30 September 2004.

NHS Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents or complaints the NHS has recorded of discrimination against (a) minority ethnic communities, including Gypsy Travellers, refugees and asylum seekers, (b) children and young people, (c) disabled people, (d) older people, (e) people of a particular religious or faith group, (f) people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender community and (g) people on the grounds of gender in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001, (iv) 2002, (v) 2003 and (vi) 2004.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on rates paid by new out-of-town developments and on congestion caused by such developments.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally.

Nutrition

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what the research findings are on new approaches to changing eating behaviour by targeting groups such as schoolchildren, pregnant women and elderly people, as referred to in Eating for Health: A Diet Action Plan for Scotland .

Mr Andy Kerr: The main new approaches to changing eating behaviours in these groups and details of research carried out or being carried out is shown below.

  Schoolchildren. The school meals policy "Hungry for Success" (HFS) is focussed on changing eating behaviour at school. Nutrient standards have been adopted in all Primary and Special Schools by December 2004 and are due in Secondary Schools by December 2006. As part of their inspections HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) are responsible for ensuring that the new standards are adhered to. Along with HMIE monitoring baseline research has been commissioned to look at the outcomes of HFS and a comparative research programme has also been commissioned to take place in 2007.

  Free Fruit in Schools - Free fruit to all P1 and P2 pupils. Independent research was commissioned in February 2005 to evaluate the impact of the scheme and will report later in the year.

  Health Promoting Schools (HPS) - Existing policy on Health Promoting Schools. Working Together for Scotland: a Programme for Government, published in January 2001, committed the Executive to encouraging every school to become a health-promoting school by 2007. Research findings can be found in the HMIE study of health promotion in schools Health Promotion - Issues for Councils and Schools, published in 1999. HMIE, have also recently published The Health Promoting School in the How Good is our School series. (available on www.hmie.gov.uk)

  Pregnant Women – The Framework for Maternity Services stresses that all women of reproductive age should be empowered and encouraged to be as healthy as possible. Health education and advice should be given at every opportunity by health service professionals when they are providing services for pregnant women. This should include advice and support on breastfeeding, healthy eating and the use of relevant NHS Health Scotland resources such as Ready, Steady, Baby.

  Elderly People – Approaches on changing eating behaviour for older people who are living independently are incorporated in the actions supporting the Executive’s healthy living campaign for the general population. Health Scotland has published Eat Well Stay Active a healthy eating resource targeted at the over 60s.

  For older people in care settings the National Care Standards expect the provision of nutritionally balanced and varied meals. Care homes are inspected twice a year and the inspection reports are available to the public.

  In addition to that, more comprehensive research findings on changes to eating behaviour can be found in the Scottish Health Education Population Survey (www.hebs.com/researchcentre/pdf/HEPSFinalReport211.pdf) and the Scottish Health Behaviours of Scottish Schoolchildren Survey www.hbsc.org/countries/downloads_countries/Scotland?Briefing_Paper_3.pdf). The Scottish Executive and the Food Standards Agency also recently published the report of a working group investigating methods for nutritional surveillance in Scotland and the joint response of the Executive and FSA to its recommendations is also published (Report- http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/health/msdt-00.asp Response - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/health/msdtr-00.asp.)

  Further information will be available in October 2005 with the publication of the latest Scottish Health Survey which reports on the health of the entire population and includes information on diet.

Nutrition

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any special initiatives for local authorities and NHS boards to encourage under-fives to eat healthily.

Mr Andy Kerr: Adventures in Foodland , an NHS Health Scotland resource for carers of children in the zero-to-five age group was launched in June 2003. This resource gives important background information on topics such as healthy eating, oral health and physical activity with young children. It also gives comprehensive information on feeding and weaning babies and suggests healthy meals and snacks for toddlers and pre-school children. It also includes activity sheets and there is an accompanying training booklet. 10,000 copies of this booklet were made available to local authority nurseries, the Scottish Child Minder Association, Child Care Partnerships, Health Promotion Departments, Scottish Pre school Play Association, Scottish Independent Nurseries Association, local authority nurseries, Sure Start projects and family centres. There is also multi agency training support for this resource, delivered through Child Care Partnerships.

  The Scottish Executive is also planning to issue draft nutritional guidance for under-fives in March 2005 for consultation. The guidance is aimed at the early years sector (such as nurseries, toddler groups, family centres, day care centres and playgroups) and aims to support staff and carers in meeting young children’s nutritional and developmental needs; provide evidence based nutritional guidance for children aged one-to-three years and four-to-five years who attend pre-school education and day care in Scotland, and provide practical advice on food choices and menu planning.

  For very young infants we believe that breastfeeding is the healthiest and most appropriate form of feeding, though it is important to ensure that families feel supported in whatever feeding choice they make. To support this, health professionals have a range of resources and training available to them to allow them to support breastfeeding, weaning and other healthy food choices, including Adventures in Foodland detailed above, Ready, Steady, Baby, Getting Off to a Good Start, and the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative. The Scottish Executive will be consulting on a National Strategy for Infant Feeding in 2005.

Nutrition

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many home economists and dieticians have been employed in each year since 1996 to provide advice and support on diet and nutritional matters to families with young children, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: Centrally held information does not explicitly identify the number of home economists or dieticians employed to provide advice and support on diet and nutritional matters to families with young children.

  Information on dietetic staff employed in NHS Scotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website under Workforce Statistics, at www.isdscotland.org/workforce. Whole-time equivalent and headcount staff figures by NHS board for each year since 1994 can be found in tables F1 and F2 of Section F.

  Latest available figures are at 30 September 2004.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that Scotland benefits from the decommissioning of North Sea oil platforms.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Enterprise Energy Team actively supports business engagement within the decommissioning market through focused market assessment reports, workshops for businesses and active engagement with the main oil and gas operators. The team also works closely with regulatory bodies such as DTI in terms of future cessation programmes.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated value to Scotland is of decommissioning work being carried out in the North Sea oil and gas industry.

Mr Jim Wallace: Scottish Enterprise Energy Team report Opportunities for Scottish Based Businesses 2001 and the update to that report in March 2002 concluded that the total estimated value for the entire North Sea decommissioning is likely to be no less than £20 billion and could easily run to £30 billion over an anticipated time period of some 20 to 30 years.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that the necessary skills are available to allow Scotland to benefit from the decommissioning of the North Sea oil and gas industry.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Enterprise Network continues to invest heavily in training and modern apprenticeship schemes in engineering and other disciplines to allow individuals to apply skills in whatever context that may be needed in the future.

Planning

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to combine planning and title conditions.

Johann Lamont: The Scottish Executive has no plans to combine planning and title conditions.

Planning

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce national title and planning conditions.

Johann Lamont: The Scottish Executive has no plans to introduce national title and planning conditions.

Ports and Harbours

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is in discussion with the two harbour authorities in Peterhead with regard to a possible merger.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with both harbour authorities.  Peterhead Bay Authority and Peterhead Harbour Trust are presently pursuing plans for a merger. A Minute of Agreement was signed in January 2005 outlining the proposals with a timetable to formally merge on 1 January 2006. A decision on whether to merge is a matter for the commercial judgement of the two harbour authorities. Given a successful outcome to the merger proposals, the new constitution that a unified Peterhead harbour authority would require would be given legislative effect through an application to the Executive for an Order under the Harbours Act 1964.

Prison Service

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on throughcare services in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive provides ring fenced funding through Section 27 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to local authorities for the delivery of services to offenders. The following amounts have been allocated to local authority groupings for throughcare services, including voluntary aftercare.

  

1999-2000
(£)
2000-01
(£)
2001-02
(£)
2002-03
(£)
2003-04
(£)
2004-05
(£)


1,511,196
1,735,796
1,913,374
2,482,679
4,500,576
5,708,526



  The recent increases are funding the implementation of the enhanced throughcare policy based on the recommendations contained in the Tripartite Group Report -Throughcare - Developing the Service which was published in January 2003. This has led to the increase in allocations to local authority Groupings from £2.5 million in 2002-03 to nearly £6 million in 2004-05.

  Identification of costs incurred by the Scottish Prison Service is more complex. Throughcare is a broad concept which encompasses the work undertaken in Links centres as well as social work, and includes addictions, employment, accommodation, learning and skills, health and families and some of the work of personal officers.

  A review of the Correctional Opportunities for Prisoners was published in January 2005. Exhibit 20 of that report indicates some of the estimated costs involved.

  The report can be found at www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/publications/pdf/2005/05pf01ag.pdf.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current (a) book and (b) market value is of its share in Partnerships UK.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive shares in Partnerships UK (PUK) are held in a share category established specifically for a holding by ministers and not for open market trading. Financial information on PUK is available from Companies House at www.companieshouse.gov.uk .

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is currently carrying out into value for money issues around the involvement of private finance in public procurement projects.

Mr Tom McCabe: HM Treasury issued new guidance for Value for Money assessment in Public Private Partnerships in August 2004. The Executive’s Financial Partnerships Unit is currently adapting it for application in Scotland, in consultation with public sector clients, Audit Scotland, and key commercial advisers. It is expected to be issued formally later this year.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether PPP and PFI have encouraged the use of construction management as a procurement method.

Mr Tom McCabe: No. PPP, including use of private finance, uses robust forms of procurement process, contractual arrangements, specification, and firmness of price.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will produce an analysis of the non-profit-distributing models pilots to replace PPP and PFI.

Mr Tom McCabe: The non-profit distributing organisation (NPDO) model is being piloted as an alternative option to the standard PPP approach and was not designed to replace the standard PPP approach.

  The pilot has already been successful in attracting competitive bids, thus passing a key market test. It will have to demonstrate value for money in the same manner as every other schools PPP project in order to gain confirmation of Scottish Executive funding prior to contract signing. Other authorities interested in this approach, and their professional advisers, have been kept fully appraised of developments during the pilot, and a broader-based exposition of the pilot will be offered to interested public authorities and the market following contract close later this year.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary question to S2O-5214 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 February 2005 ( Official Report , c 14265), whether it considers that additional capacity in the NHS can only be provided through PFI/PPP.

Mr Andy Kerr: No. PFI/PPP is one method of infrastructure investment in a "mixed economy" approach pursued by the Scottish Executive. The proportion of the total infrastructure investment delivered through PPP will vary annually dependant on the types of projects being brought forward by NHS boards and their suitability, on value for money grounds, for delivery through PPP.

  Details of the total infrastructure investment plan can be found within Building a Better Scotland, Infrastructure Investment Plan: Investing in the Future of Scotland launched on 25 February and which can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/finance/iipifs-00.asp.

Public Sector Staff

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the working population is employed in the public sector, broken down into (a) local government, (b) the NHS, (c) the fire service, (d) the police and (e) other public sector employees.

Mr Jim Wallace: The table reports the percentage of the working population employed in the public sector broken down by (a) local government, (b) the NHS, (c) the fire service, (d) the police, and (c) other public sector employment. The figures are sourced from The Joint Staffing Watch Survey (September 2004), Office for National Statistics (2004), the Information and Statistics Division (ISD) of the Common Service Agency (2004), and the Labour Force Survey (LFS) (2004).

  Table 1 Public Sector Employment as a Share of all Employment

  

 
Level
As a Proportion of Total Employment (%)


Total employment1
2,446,000
 


Total employment public sector 
570,000
23.3%


NHS2
144,000
5.9%


Local Government3
315,000
12.9%


 Of which:
 
 


 Police 
23,000
0.9%


 Fire4
6,000
0.2%


Other Public Sector5
110,000
4.5%



  Source(s):

  1. Labour Force Survey (LFS) (September to November 2004).

  2. Information and Statistics Division (ISD) of the Common Service Agency (2004).

  3. Joint Staffing Watch Survey (September 2004).

  4. Figures for fire service exclude volunteer and retained firefighters.

  5. Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Rail Network

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what expenditure was incurred, and what items were repaired or renewed, in respect of railway infrastructure on the (a) Perth to Inverness, (b) Aberdeen to Inverness and (c) Inverness to Thurso and Wick lines from (i) 1987 to 1997 and (ii) 1998 to 2005.

Nicol Stephen: This information is not held centrally.

Rail Services

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operational passenger railway stations there are at present in Scotland and how many it expects there to be in 2014-15.

Nicol Stephen: There are currently 340 operational passenger railway stations in Scotland.

  The Scottish Executive does not at present hold comprehensive information on all proposals for new stations as these are often developed and promoted, in the first instance, by the relevant local authority or regional transport partnership. The following stations are, however, being considered for re-opening as part of major projects.

  

Project
Stations Under Consideration for Re-opening


Airdrie - Bathgate
Plains, Caldercruix, Armadale, Blackridge


Stirling – Alloa – Kincardine
Alloa


Larkhall – Milngavie
Larkhall


Borders
Galashiels, Eskbank, Gorebridge, Newtongrange


Larkhall – Milngavie
Dawsholm (to be re-named Kelvindale), Chatelherault, Merryton


Edinburgh Airport Rail Link
Edinburgh Airport


Glasgow Airport Rail Link
Glasgow Airport


Borders
Tweedbank



  The Scottish Executive is also supporting the feasibility studies into the Aberdeen Crossrail and Glasgow Crossrail proposals which will include the creation of new stations, as well as proposals for new stations at Laurencekirk, Reston and East Linton.

Registrar General for Scotland

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, whether the Registrar General for Scotland has informed it of any documents showing that, in May 1974, ministers considered that Scotland should not be bound to keep in line in all respects with English and Welsh census closure policy and that the proposed 100-year closure rule for Scottish censuses was too long.

Tavish Scott: The closure of census records was raised with ministers in early 1974, in response to enquiries from solicitors wishing to use personal census information in settling executry cases. The Registrar General consulted the Minister of State at the Scottish Office, setting out the current policy of 100 year closure on access to personal census information, and recommending that this be relaxed in certain inheritance cases. In response, among other points, the minister commented:

  "I do not think that we should be bound to keep in line with England and Wales. The hundred year rule is too long."

  However, after further discussion, the minister indicated that he was content with the Registrar General’s proposal. The Secretary of State also agreed. The relaxation of the 100 year closure where personal census information was required to resolve questions of inheritance was announced in a written answer on 23 May 1974.

  The documents concerned are available for consultation at the National Archives for Scotland and I will make arrangements for them to be accessible also through the Registrar General’s website www.gro-scotland.gov.uk.

Road Safety

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents took place in bus lanes in each year since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the Stats 19 statistical report form. These returns cover only road accidents in which one or more people were injured; they do not cover "damage only" accidents.

  The following tables show the number of accidents where one or more of the vehicles involved were reported, in the statistical returns, as being in either a "bus lane" or a "busway". A "bus lane" is defined as a lane marked off within the main carriageway for use by buses (and, possibly, certain other types of vehicle, such as taxis and pedal cycles). A busway is a section of the road segregated from the main carriageway for use by buses (and, possibly, other permitted vehicles).

  However, the statistical returns do not identify whether the initial collision took place in the bus lane or the busway. In a very small number of cases, some accidents are counted in both tables. This is because these accidents involved both (a) at least one vehicle reported as being in a bus lane and (ii) at least one vehicle reported as being in a busway.

  Number of Accidents Involving at Least One Vehicle Whose Location was Reported as Being in a "Bus Lane" at the Time of that Accident

  

Year
 


1999
61


2000
24


2001
76


2002
94


2003
105



  Number of Accidents Involving at Least One Vehicle Whose Location was Reported as Being in a "Busway" at the Time of that Accident

  

Year
 


1999
25


2000
28


2001
44


2002
38


2003
32

Road Safety

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the removal of school crossing patrollers will have on its policy of Safer Routes to School.

Nicol Stephen: If a local authority’s assessment of a safer routes to school scheme included a school crossing patrol site as an essential element of the scheme, I would not expect the crossing patrol site to be removed unless suitable alternative arrangements were put in place.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what directions have been given to BEAR Scotland to appraise the upgrading of the A90 from Aberdeen to Peterhead, including the provision of a dual carriageway along its length.

Nicol Stephen: No directions have been given to BEAR Scotland Ltd to appraise the upgrading of the A90 from Aberdeen to Peterhead to dual carriageway standard.

  However, the Scottish Executive has commissioned consultants to undertake a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) multi-modal assessment of the Balmeddie –to Tipperty section of the A90. The results of the study were recently presented to the North East Scotland Transport Partnership (NESTRANS) and they are currently considering its contents.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to improve the A90 within Dundee.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is currently undertaking a study, in conjunction with Dundee City Council and other stakeholders, to consider the likely traffic impacts on the A90 in the vicinity of the Swallow and Myreside roundabouts, Dundee, as a result of major development pressures on the Dundee western approaches.

Roads

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made following the public local inquiry into the route of the A96 Fochabers to Mosstodloch by-pass.

Nicol Stephen: The process of considering the report of the public local inquiry is at an advanced stage and I expect to be in a position very soon to announce a decision on whether or not the scheme should proceed.

Roads

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of holding the public local inquiry into the A96 Fochabers-Mosstodloch by-pass.

Nicol Stephen: The administrative costs for holding the inquiry including the reporter’s travel and subsistence; the hire of the halls and the advertising of the inquiry was £7,300. The inquiry was conducted by a full-time reporter from the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit.

  Costs of the parties taking part are met by them directly. The costs of preparing for and attending the Inquiry met by the Scottish Executive, as promoter, are £410,742. The total aggregate cost of involvement of all parties is not known.

Roads

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce a decision on the route of the A96 Fochabers-Mosstodloch by-pass following the public local inquiry completing its findings over eight months ago.

Nicol Stephen: A decision will be announced soon.

Roads

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what standards it specifies for the maintenance of A class principal routes.

Nicol Stephen: Each local authority is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the non-trunk road network within its area. The Executive does not specify maintenance standards, but has commended to authorities the use of the Code of Practice for Highway Maintenance Delivering Best Value in Highway Maintenance , published by The Institution of Highways and Transportation.

School Meals

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all primary and secondary school meals provided by local authorities are healthy and nutritious.

Euan Robson: Through Hungry for Success, local authorities have been awarded substantial additional funding to improve significantly the school meals service in Scotland. Authorities have introduced many new healthier products into their menu planning and are generally incorporating lower salt and lower fat products into their recipes in line with the nutrient-based standards for school meals developed under Hungry for Success.

Scots Language

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13616 by Peter Peacock on 31 January 2005, in which specific policies the principles of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, as these relate to Scots, have been given general expression.

Patricia Ferguson: The principles of the charter, as they relate to Scots, find expression in Scottish Executive policies in education and the arts.

Scots Language

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the application of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as these relate to Scots.

Patricia Ferguson: The UK government has signed Part II of the Council of Europe Charter for Regional and Minority Languages in respect of Scots. Part II consists of the main principles and objectives that are applicable to all parties and all regional and minority languages. The responsibility for the monitoring of these undertakings is principally for Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Scottish Executive assists the FCO in this exercise.

Scots Language

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any advice has been issued to civil servants concerning the application of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as these relate to Scots and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Patricia Ferguson: Officials of the Scottish Executive have been charged with advising ministers on the development of a national language strategy which will include measures in relation to Scots. The development of such a strategy is one of the government’s partnership commitments.

Scots Language

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any advice to local authorities about the implementation of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as these relate to Scots.

Patricia Ferguson: Local authorities were issued with advice on the charter in February 2002. At this point the Scottish Executive wrote to all Scottish local authorities and public bodies informing them that the UK Government had signed the charter and informed them of the specific measures and undertakings. The Scottish Executive has also issued guidance to local authorities on the use of Scots in the classrooms.

Scots Language

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it funds and resources the Scots language; what level of funding it has made available to support the Scots language in each of the last three years, and how much funding it will make available in the next financial year.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive has not earmarked a specific budget for Scots language development. It provides funding for Scots activities through the general resources which it makes available to cultural and educational bodies, local authorities and the enterprise network. Expenditure by these bodies on projects and programmes related to the Scots language is not centrally collated.

Scots Language

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific actions it has taken to implement the advice on enhancing the status of the Scots language contained in the last report of the European Committee of Experts on the United Kingdom’s application of the provisions of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

Patricia Ferguson: The Committee of Experts recommended to the UK government that it should help create conditions for the use of Scots in public life, through the adoption of a language policy and concrete measures, in co-operation with the speakers of the language. The Executive has committed itself to the development of a national language strategy to this end.

Scottish Executive Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff it recruited in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) gender, (b) ethnic origin and (c) disability.

Mr Tom McCabe: The headcount of permanent new starts to the Scottish Executive core departments, agencies 1 and associated departments in each financial year since 1999, broken down by (a) gender, (b) ethnic origin and (c) disability is provided in the tables.

  The data provided includes members of staff who have left and rejoined during the period under investigation. The data therefore reflect the number of new starts, rather than number of individuals.

  To ensure the accuracy of our data we are currently resurveying our staff with regards to their ethnicity and disabled status.

  (a) Gender

  

Year
Male
Female
Total


1999-2000
477
448
925


2000-01
412
469
881


2001-02
422
500
922


2002-03
367
406
773


2003-04
291
260
551



  (b) Ethnic Origin

  

Year
Ethnic Minority
Not Known
White
Total


1999-2000
17
125
783
925


2000-01
19
171
691
881


2001-02
31
215
676
922


2002-03
23
138
612
773


2003-04
6
350
195
551



  (c) Disability

  

Year
Not Self Declared
Self Declared
Total


1999-2000
900
25
925


2000-01
847
34
881


2001-02
905
17
922


2002-03
750
23
773


2003-04
528
23
551



  Note: Information on staff joining the Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Courts Service, Historic Scotland, Registers of Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal is not included.

Scottish Executive Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants in senior grades (a) are women, (b) have a disability and (c) are from ethnic minorities.

Mr Tom McCabe: The available information requested for staff at Senior Civil Service (SCS) level in the Scottish Executive core departments as at 1 February, 2005 is set out in the table. Of the 189 SCS staff in the core departments, less than 5 have self declared a disability, the exact figure therefore has been withheld for confidentiality reasons.

  To ensure the accuracy of our data we are currently resurveying our staff with regards to their ethnicity and disabled status.

  

Gender
Male
Female
Total


Number of staff
128
61
189



  

Ethnic Origin
White
Ethnic Minority
Not Known
Total


Number of staff
148
5
36
189

Scottish Water

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Scottish Water about the need to ensure that adequate resources are available so that developments that incorporate affordable housing in rural areas are able to proceed.

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will hold discussions with Scottish Water about issues that exist in the Auchterarder and Alyth areas in respect of a lack of sewage and drainage capacity constraining proposals for affordable housing developments.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has an on-going dialogue with Scottish Water and its environmental and economic regulators, with Communities Scotland and other stakeholders about a wide range of issues.

  In my statement on 9 February in Parliament, I outlined our objectives for Scottish Water’s next investment programme. Among the essential objectives was one to tackle constraints on new development by allowing an estimated 120,000 new homes and more than 4,000 hectares of land for commercial development to be connected to the public networks.

  I also noted that the Minister for Communities will shortly make a separate announcement about connections to the water and sewage networks for affordable housing.

Social Justice

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish annual reports on Closing the Opportunity Gap’s targets and objectives.

Malcolm Chisholm: We will not publish annual reports on our Closing the Opportunity Gap targets and objectives. The targets will be monitored and the latest data showing progress against them will be published as it becomes available on our Closing the Opportunity Gap webpages.

Social Justice

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to involve people with experience of poverty and social exclusion in the monitoring of Closing the Opportunity Gap’s targets and objectives and how it will report on any activity undertaken in this area.

Malcolm Chisholm: All departments have been asked to develop plans for involving service users and those with experience of poverty and social exclusion in the delivery of their targets. In addition, the Poverty Alliance are currently developing a programme of work that will enable the views of those with direct experience of poverty and social exclusion to be fed into the policy development, monitoring and review process.

Suicide

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13372 by Tavish Scott on 26 January 2005, what the suicide rate was in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04, broken down by local authority area.

Tavish Scott: The table presents the latest available information. It combines deaths from intentional self-harm with deaths from events of undetermined intent, as the majority of the latter are likely to have been suicides.

  Deaths from Intentional Self-Harm and Events of Undetermined Intent by Council Area1, 1999–2003, Rates2 Per 100,000 Population

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


Scotland
17
17
18
18
16


Aberdeen City
19
18
12
18
17


Aberdeenshire
14
13
16
14
11


Angus
21
10
6
11
15


Argyll and Bute
17
14
16
16
19


Clackmannanshire
15
8
25
19
17


Dumfries and Galloway
24
18
13
19
14


Dundee City
20
24
22
18
18


East Ayrshire
26
13
30
22
14


East Dunbartonshire
9
11
11
14
12


East Lothian
12
9
11
11
13


East Renfrewshire
7
9
10
6
7


Edinburgh, City of
14
18
20
17
11


Eilean Siar
18
34
30
4
23


Falkirk
22
12
15
17
12


Fife
12
16
14
19
11


Glasgow City
23
28
24
21
20


Highland
22
26
24
21
20


Inverclyde
22
15
18
28
19


Midlothian
15
12
17
20
19


Moray
21
18
20
17
22


North Ayrshire
18
17
21
14
14


North Lanarkshire
12
16
17
17
19


Orkney Islands
15
21
5
16
31


Perth and Kinross
11
17
22
12
23


Renfrewshire
20
16
11
21
16


Scottish Borders
18
16
15
20
18


Shetland Islands
9
23
18
27
32


South Ayrshire
17
16
21
16
7


South Lanarkshire
17
13
14
19
11


Stirling
15
8
17
15
13


West Dunbartonshire
15
26
17
25
28


West Lothian
17
16
13
16
16



  Notes:

  1. Deaths are allocated to the area of usual residence if in Scotland and to the area of occurrence if the usual residence is outwith Scotland.

  2. Rates based on fewer than 20 deaths are shown in italics.

Supermarkets

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been (a) created by supermarkets and (b) lost from high streets in each year since 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: The number of jobs created by supermarkets and the number of jobs lost from high streets is not held centrally. Table 1 shows the change in the level of employee jobs in the retail 1  industry in each year since 1999.

  Table 1 Annual Change in the Level of Retail2,3 Industry Employee Jobs

  

 
Change


1999-2000
3,300


2000-01
25,200


2001-02
2,000


2002-03
-4,100



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry.

  Notes:

  1. Excluding the retail of motor vehicles and motorcycles.

  2. Data from 1998-2002 are based on Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 1992 codes whereas data in 2003 is based on SIC 2003 codes. This may lead to a discontinuity in levels.

  3. Industry is defined as SIC 92 codes 52.1 - 52.6.

  4. The data is rounded to the nearest hundred.

Taxation

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of revenue has been (a) raised in Scotland and (b) returned to the Scottish Executive from (i) climate change levy, (ii) landfill tax and (iii) fossil fuel levy.

Mr Tom McCabe: The exact levels of these taxes raised in Scotland are not available, however they are estimated in the Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland (GERS) exercise. The estimated amounts raised in 2002-03 were (i) £80 million, (ii) £50 million and (iii) £1 million. Since the Executive receives a block grant from HM Treasury, amounts of individual taxes are not traceable in the Executive’s overall funding.

Teachers

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many physical assaults on teachers took place in each of the last five years, broken down by education authority.

Peter Peacock: For the year 1989-1999 statistics were gathered combining all forms of physical violence. From 1999 to 2003 the statistics provided separate information on incidents involving physical violence and incidents in which there was verbal abuse and physical violence.

  The requested information for 2001-02 and 2002-03 was made available in the Excel spreadsheet published at www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00318-00.asp, The relevant page of the spreadsheet is that titled "Additional". There was no national collection of data in 2003-04.

  Reported Incidents of Violence and Anti-social Behaviour against Local Authority School Staff

  

 
1998-99
1999-2000
2000-01


Aberdeen City
139
143
170


Aberdeenshire
42
3
65


Angus
20
9
24


Argyll and Bute
11
22
16


Clackmannanshire
7
8
11


Dumfries and Galloway
13
2
13


Dundee City
128
148
231


East Ayrshire
26
7
10


East Dunbartonshire
24
42
34


East Lothian
6
26
19


East Renfrewshire
13
23
14


Edinburgh, City of
120
80
146


Eilean Siar
0
0
0


Falkirk
0
5
94


Fife
31
218
201


Glasgow City
108
90
178


Highland
11
17
125


Inverclyde
8
17
36


Midlothian
54
51
38


Moray
27
7
18


North Ayrshire
8
14
41


North Lanarkshire
70
22
22


Orkney Islands
1
2
2


Perth and Kinross
35
56
112


Renfrewshire
23
25
54


Scottish Borders
2
2
13


Shetland Islands
1
2
12


South Ayrshire
24
50
17


South Lanarkshire
33
35
40


Stirling
2
21
11


West Dunbartonshire
48
27
60


West Lothian
38
48
75



  Incidents Categorised as "Both Verbal Abuse and Physical Violence"

  

 
1999-2000
2000-01


Aberdeen City
125
143


Aberdeenshire
2
29


Angus
12
15


Argyll and Bute
7
7


Clackmannanshire
7
7


Dumfries and Galloway
24
8


Dundee City
0
93


East Ayrshire
9
7


East Dunbartonshire
3
12


East Lothian
3
9


East Renfrewshire
0
0


Edinburgh, City of
109
142


Eilean Siar
0
8


Falkirk
10
18


Fife
14
67


Glasgow City
27
43


Highland
5
27


Inverclyde
12
8


Midlothian
10
28


Moray
19
10


North Ayrshire
21
40


North Lanarkshire
72
72


Orkney Islands
2
1


Perth and Kinross
25
124


Renfrewshire
9
4


Scottish Borders
2
6


Shetland Islands
1
8


South Ayrshire
33
33


South Lanarkshire
27
62


Stirling
13
7


West Dunbartonshire
38
20


West Lothian
0
23

Teachers

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the destinations of teachers who worked in special schools which were closed as a result of its mainstreaming policy.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive does not hold centrally information on the destination of teachers working in special schools which have been closed or the reasons for school closure. Local authorities have not advised the Scottish Executive of any of its special schools having been closed as a result of the mainstreaming policy. The Scottish Executive will continue to fund the seven grant-aided special schools until, at least, 2008.

Transport

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when stakeholders will be consulted on the next 10-year transport plan, with particular reference to investment in rail and ferry services.

Nicol Stephen: The Strategic Projects Review will begin before 2007 and will be a review covering all modes of transport. Consultation with key stakeholders will play an important role and will take place at an early stage in the process.